CYBERSAFE LIBERIA FOUNDATIONIndependent public-interest initiativeNOT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY

GET CYBER HELP

Something went wrong online?
Start here.

Simple first steps for common online problems. Choose the situation closest to yours. This page does not receive reports or store personal details.

Find your situation
Students work together at desktop computers during a digital-learning session in Liberia.
Students work together at desktop computers during a digital-learning session in Liberia.Photo: SOS Children’s Village Liberia / Source
If a person is in immediate danger, contact the Liberia National Police or go to the nearest police station.Liberia National Police ↗Urgent cyber incident? Contact LNCC ↗

COMMON SITUATIONS

Choose a topic to see first steps.

These are general safety tips. The right response depends on your circumstances.

I was scammed online
  1. Stop communicating with the person and do not send more money, including “recovery” fees.
  2. Contact your bank or mobile-money provider through a verified app or number as soon as possible.
  3. Keep messages, transaction references, phone numbers, links, and dates.
  4. For a formal crime report, contact the Liberia National Police.
My Facebook account was hacked
  1. Use Facebook’s official account-recovery process from a device you trust.
  2. Change your password, sign out other sessions, and check your email and phone recovery details.
  3. Tell friends to ignore unusual requests or payment messages from your account.
  4. Never share a login code with someone who contacts you.
My WhatsApp account was hacked
  1. Open WhatsApp and try to register your phone number again using the verification code sent to you.
  2. Never give a six-digit verification code to anyone, even if they claim to be a friend or support agent.
  3. After regaining access, enable two-step verification and review linked devices.
  4. Warn contacts not to send money or codes in response to unusual messages.
My email account was hacked
  1. From a trusted device, change the password and secure any other account that reused it.
  2. Review recovery details, forwarding rules, connected apps, and active sessions.
  3. Turn on multi-factor authentication and warn contacts about suspicious messages.
  4. Use the provider’s official recovery process if you cannot sign in.
Someone is impersonating me online
  1. Save the profile link, account name, messages, and screenshots with dates.
  2. Report the profile to the platform using its impersonation or identity complaint route.
  3. Tell contacts how to verify messages from you, especially payment requests.
  4. Contact the Liberia National Police if fraud, serious threats, or other suspected crime is involved.
My mobile money or digital payment was taken
  1. Contact your bank or mobile-money provider immediately through a verified contact and ask them to secure the account or review the transaction.
  2. Keep the transaction reference, amount, date, recipient details, and messages.
  3. Do not pay anyone promising to recover funds for a fee.
  4. Contact the Liberia National Police for an official crime report.
I clicked a suspicious link
  1. If you only opened the page, close it and do not enter information or download anything.
  2. If you entered a password, change it from the service’s official site using a trusted device.
  3. If you shared financial information, call your bank or mobile-money provider using a verified contact.
  4. If you downloaded a file or use a work device, contact your organization’s IT/security team.
My computer has ransomware or malware
  1. If this is a work or school device, contact the authorized IT/security team immediately and follow its incident plan.
  2. Avoid deleting files, wiping the device, or paying a ransom before getting qualified advice.
  3. Preserve any warning messages and note when the issue began.
  4. For serious or ongoing technical incidents, contact LNCC through its official channel.
Someone is harassing or threatening me online
  1. Save messages, usernames, profile links, dates, and screenshots if doing so is safe.
  2. Report the account or content to the platform; block or limit contact if safe for you.
  3. Do not confront the person or post private information in response.
  4. If there is an immediate physical threat, contact the Liberia National Police or nearest police station now.
My business or organization was attacked
  1. Activate your organization’s incident and continuity plans; notify authorized IT/security and leadership contacts.
  2. Protect essential services and preserve logs, alerts, affected systems, and a timeline.
  3. Contact service providers through established channels and coordinate with legal/privacy leads.
  4. Contact LNCC/LCERT about major technical incidents. Check your organization’s direct legal and regulatory reporting duties; telling CyberSafe does not satisfy them.
My personal information was exposed
  1. Contact the organization or service that held the information through a verified channel.
  2. Change exposed passwords and watch for unusual account activity or messages asking for money or codes.
  3. Contact your bank or mobile-money provider if financial information or payment access may be affected.
  4. Ask the organization what information was involved and what protective steps it recommends.
I received a suspicious message
  1. Do not click links, open unexpected attachments, reply, or share a verification code.
  2. Check the sender through a separate, trusted contact method—not by using the phone number or link in the message.
  3. Report it through your email, messaging, or social-media app’s official process.
  4. If you clicked or shared details, follow the steps above for a suspicious link or affected account.

NOT SURE WHAT TO DO?

Use the incident assistance page.

It explains the Hub’s current status, its independent role, and where to seek official help.

About the Incident Hub